jueves, 29 de noviembre de 2012

Finding Neverland (2004)
is a drama based on the life of James Mathew Barrie, the author of the classic
Peter Pan. Specifically, it is about Barrie’s friendship with the family who
inspired him to create Peter Pan.

The story takes place in London in 1904.
Barrie’s latest play has failed to impress the audience and he needs something
new because his producer is clamouring him a new show, but he is at a loss of
inspiration. However, Barrie's fortune changes during one visit to the park
where he finds four young boys and their widowed mother Sylvia. Barrie is
instantly attracted to the children. During the next months the author plays
with the boys daily. He leads them in games involving pirates, cowboys and
Indians; he dresses in funny costumes...

Barrie
and the Davies family quickly become inseparable. The children like him and
Sylvia is grateful for his attention, especially since she has developed an
alarming cough and he helps her taking care of the boys. The only holdout is
Peter, he is wise and solemn, and he feels the loss of his father more than his
brothers. After a while, Sylvia's health worsens. The boys are reassured that
nothing serious is wrong, but Peter is sure they are lying to him about her
illness, as they did regarding his father disease.

Simultaneously, the whole town is talking
about Barrie and the Davies family. With reference to Barrie's wife, Mary, she
rarely sees him at home and she is disturbed about his relationship with the Davies
family. In addition, Sylvia’s mother is also worried by a man (Barrie) who
wants to become the best playmate of her grandchildren. Nevertheless, none of
these distractions take Barrie away from the boys, who are his muses.

Their
imaginative games give him ideas for a new play. He begins writing once again, and cannot
stop. Each new adventure with the Davies
clan leads to pages and pages for his new play about a young boy and a
visionary place called Neverland. The play’s opening night, Barrie invites 25
orphans and sits them through the audience, where their laugher stirs the
adults to see the magic in the later renamed play.

The main
actors and actresses of this film are Johnny Depp as Sir James Mathew Barrie, the protagonist of the film; Kate Winslet
as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies; and Freddie
Highmore as Peter Llewelyn Davies. Johnny
Depp and Kate Winslet do a great job. However, from my point of view, the most
remarkable performance is the one made by Freddie Highmore as Peter Llewelyn. This character really
moved me.

I am
of the opinion that Finding Neverland
is a story very well told with some charm. Personally, I believe that it’s very
emotive, tender and touching. And at the same time very funny. The more I look it, the more I like it. For
that reason, I strongly recommend you to see this
film. Especially, for those who in a way refuses to grow up, and for those who
like fantasy and creativity, because this film is a very good example of it.

miércoles, 28 de noviembre de 2012

Peter Bowman (David Morse), an American engineer,
is living with his wife (Alice) and building
a dam in the (fictional) city of Tecala, sited in South America ,when he is kidnapped
by antigovernment forces during an intrusion in the city.

Alice (Meg Ryan) immediately turns to Peter’s
corporation (sited in Houston) and they immediately provide help through Terry Thome’s
(Russel Crowe) services, an ex-soldier turned kidnap and ransom
professional negotiator. Terry immediately takes charge of the matter, but
unfortunately after few days, news from Houston communicate to Alice that they
are in a hard economic situation and consequently have no budget to afford the
hostage insurance. However, the negotiator being already really involved with
the case; decides to keep working on it on his own.

Due to this sudden situation things become
complicated since they have no economic support to pay the ransom that Peter’s rescue
costs. Thenceforward Terry starts preparing himself a rescue plan for Peter with
some old colleagues’ help.

While this process and plan is being carried
on, a close relation occurs between Terry and Alice, a kind of opposed feelings
grow between them: Alice feels attracted to Terry but she is still worried and
suffering about her husband’s situation, on the other hand Terry being extremely
professional with his work and having always in mind the reason why he is
there; cannot avoid feeling the same attraction to his client.

While watching the film there are two outstanding
senses found: impossible attraction/relation and suffering mixed, so there is a
bittersweet feeling transmitted during the whole movie.

The whole cast work it’s amazing, they reach
the goal of performing in a perfect and realistic way.

As an absolute personal opinion I must admit
that since the first time I saw this film became one of my favorites because
the opposed feelings encountered.

One of the other occurrences in the movie that seems
interesting to me is that through this kind of reports/films we can see how
people who live in poor and underdeveloped countries have to act in order to
protect and be able to feed themselves and their family. Nevertheless from my
point of view it would not justify innocent people who’s just working or trying
to help them having to pay and suffer for politic mistakes or deals.